SARASOTA, Fla. – Sarasota police stopped an 8-year-old boy operating a personal watercraft off the coast of Lido Key over the weekend, a move that will send the boy’s father to court.
Florida law requires a person to be at least 14 years old to operate a personal watercraft. Allowing someone under that age to do so is a second-degree misdemeanor.
Officers with the Sarasota Police Marine Patrol Unit spotted the boy riding the watercraft during a busy weekend with rough currents — conditions that made the situation even more dangerous.
What Florida law says about personal watercraft
Florida Statute 327.39 outlines several rules that govern the operation of personal watercraft on state waters. Here’s what riders — and their parents — need to know:
Life jackets are required. Every person riding on or being towed behind a personal watercraft must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device. Inflatable devices do not meet this requirement.
Engine cutoff switches must be used. If a personal watercraft is equipped with a lanyard-type engine cutoff switch, the operator must attach it to their person, clothing, or life jacket at all times.
No nighttime riding. Personal watercraft cannot be operated between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise. Emergency rescue and fire service personnel are exempt while performing official duties.
Safe operation is the law. Personal watercraft must be operated in a reasonable and prudent manner at all times. Reckless behavior — including weaving through congested boat traffic, jumping another vessel’s wake in close proximity, or swerving at the last moment to avoid a collision — is considered reckless operation under Florida Statute 327.33.
Minimum age is 14. No person under the age of 14 may operate a personal watercraft on Florida waters. It is also unlawful for any owner or person in control of a personal watercraft to knowingly allow someone under 14 to operate it.
Rental operators must complete safety instruction. Anyone operating a leased, hired, or rented personal watercraft must receive instruction in safe handling, as required by rules established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A written statement confirming that instruction must be provided to the owner or person in charge of the vessel.